Photography

Telecommunications

Fashion

Manchester Airport (MAN)

“
Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC) is a major airport in Manchester, England. It opened to airline traffic in June 1938. Formerly known as Ringway Airport and, until 1986, Manchester International Airport. It is located on the boundary between Cheshire and Manchester in the now dissolved county of Greater Manchester. „

Advantages

Disadvantages

This was my experience, and one I would not like to have repeated

=Manchester Airport=

Our Experience. We went away at Easter and again at may half term, same destination, flying from Manchester, I have based my review on check in desk and security - as my experiences could not have been more different.

=Holiday 1=We went away at Easter, and although we were flying on Good Friday (bank holiday) our flight was 6.30am, so we missed the traffic.

=Check In=We were with Thomas Cook, the check in was awful, the person was rude, I was close to tears, I had asked for medical seating, (as I was disabled) and she says that we don't have any information from the holiday company, as to this. (I've been in crutches for 10 years, I sometimes have to use wheelchairs and mobility scooters). I bring out the paperwork from the travel agent - stating customer disabled, assistance seating on plane, wheelchair assistance needed. Yet she had wheel chair assistance booked.

At 3am no sleep, just wanted to get checked in, popped my luggage on it was 20.5kg, so she commented it needed a heavy label, I offered to swop something to my daughters case as that was 15kg (we had 20kg each luggage allowance) - no it was against company policy.

=Saga over Seating=After explaining that I need to be near a toilet, otherwise I would need to get my crutches, she gave me the worst seats on the plane, even the stewardess who helped me with the seat location was disgusted. We have been given row 42 (back of plane), I had been asked if I wanted window and middle or middle and aisle, so I asked for middle and aisle, so she gives us window and aisle.

=Going through security=At this point I will say that I do carry a lot of medication, all prescription (including epi -pen) - explained this first to the security, keep medication in a large bag, doctors note, no problem at all, they could not do enough for me. They scanned my crutches, but went and fetched me some walking sticks to keep me upright.

Going through I got stopped by a female customs officer - can we swab your trainers - I must have gone pale, as I had borrowed my father's (in the rush to get ready, grabbed his, by the time I realised we were at the airport. All ok.

=Holiday 2=After the saga with the seating I double checked with the travel agents, all sorted, again I had conformation that request had gone it, I always book in advance to get requests such as assistance at airports, low floor rooms etc.

=At airport=You could not have met a nicer check in lady, we saw the one from before 3 desks down, this lady was lovely offered to get us help with the suitcases from trolley to the weigh in, this time I had got dad to come in with me, as I thought I would be a panic. he lifted the cases, we were under the limit, we even laughed about the once case as my daughter has a camper van suitcase and matching trolley case.

=The seating=Although there was a note on the file, apparently the assisted seating had been taken by a party of 20 (even if just one person is disabled all the party are allocated assistance seating).

I explained the problem we had last time, she was so helpful, she offered 3 choices where to sit, and where the toilets were located (bigger plane from last time) so seating was a 2, 4, 2. We opted for a 2 seats and with her advice we took the seats which were one row from the back of the plane, but there was 2 toilets at the rear. Thank you.

=Departures=Here the fun and games started, it took an hour to get through, there was no queues. As always I explained that I had medication, put the bag through separate, and epi-pens, out luggage, daughter had her trolley case and a handbag, I had a back pack and handbag.

Went to get the stuff from the other end, and it was on the side and my crutches, I was struggling to stand on the walking sticks I was wobbling as it may sound daft but the crutches support from the arms. I asked how long would they be with the crutches, they did not know as they needed further checks, as they looked suspicious markings on them. I had recently had new rubbers on the bottom.

=Help=It was only when I nearly collapsed as I could not stand did anyone bother to take notice that our items were on the side. At this point they went and got a wheelchair so I could sit down, as I did explain if I collapse on the floor, I would need a lot of help getting up and any damage by falling would be putting my body at risk. At this point they got a wheelchair for me to sit in.

=crutches=According to them I was carrying liquid in my crutches - they asked for my passport and commented that mine had a lot of stamps for the country we were visiting, I happen to like the country and I can get around.

=Finally got my crutches back=They were in pieces - there was no liquid in there.

=Then my tablets=Did I need that many. yes.What do I need them for - Various elements of my illnessWhy did I carry 2 Epi pens - the usual amount is one- I'm not usual, as they have not discovered what I am allergic to, with travelling my GP gave me a 2nd one

I explained that I had1 - repeat prescription2 - Doctors note - to cover the epi-pen and stronger medication

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

=My daughters trolley case=They took everything out, scanned it all individually, when I asked why I was told your package is suspicious

=I asked to see a Manager=No that was not possible as I may hide things when he goes - Doh we're at an airport - there's CCTV all around, and enough staff here. I am not carrying anything.

=Questions=Why have I got 2 x Ds consoles - One is mine, one is my daughtersWhy 2 mp3 players - same reason

=Then it was I'm carrying items I should not be=No I am you have scanned my suitcase, more than once, I have answered all your questions, and I have done everything by the book regarding medication

=It was embarrassing=I always carry a spare pair of knickers with me and a towel in case time of month comes early, so at least I can change and get tidy. he wasn't happy with the answer.

=Again I asked for a manager=I didn't get a manager I got a female officer, - I thought this is it, I had visions of being strip searched

=Good News=She looked at the suitcase, the bloke explained why he stopped it, which boiled down to a child having an expensive trolley case, and that I had 2 epi pens.

=This point=I was told, sorry to have kept you, you can have your belongings back. The man then said I am a pharmacist by trade. How I didn't answer him back, I don't know. he may be a pharmacist, but he is a security at the airport.

=It was given to me loose=By this time we had been there nearly an hour, I was in tears, my daughter was in tears as she thought we wouldn't be able to go on holiday, the items were given loose, we had to dump them on my lap, whilst my daughter grabbed the trolley case and the backpack.

=Asked for help=Could someone just push the wheelchair to the bench - which was above 20 yards, so that we could repack the case - No that wasn't possible.

=Lucky gent=There was a gentleman behind me who by this time had gathered what was going on, he came up and pushed the chair for me to the bench, I had tears pouring. I was that close to wanting to turn around and go home, if it hadn't been for my daughter I would have done.

=Whilst I appreciate that security is important, and if your carrying medicine then it does need checking, which I why I carry doctors note, prescription, have it ready to be scanned separately.

=I really dread the thought of going through that again, I know they have a job to do, but there are ways and means to treat people and by my standards that was awful way to be treated.

=Formal Complaint=I did put a complaint in writing to the airport, but I have heard nothing back.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

An excape route from northern weather!

Manchester airport makes you walk through the big duty free shop once you've been through security to get to your gates - this annoys me because it's always so bright and strong smelling (perfumes etc).

I'm not all that interested in the shops as I always think they're overpriced at the airport but Manchester has plenty to keep you busy if this is what you want. We like to avoid having to buy over priced and poor quality food on the plane and find that buying a boots 'meal deal' is usually the best option - there's at least one Boots in each terminal.

I really do believe that airports and planes should provide facilities for free drinking water but Manchester doesn't although this isn't dissimilar to other UK airports.

There is often a big queue to get through security - the amount of time varies; we've waited anything from 10 minutes up to about 40 minutes to clear security. Similarly, on the way back passport control queues can be very long.

When someone is dropping you off, there is a drop off Zone but when you're being picked up it's a bit more tricky because you don't know exactly what time you're going to be there. It is therefore better to park but there is no free time allowed for this - it costs £2.50 to park for half an hour.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A lovely airport

Although I live very close to Humberside Airport (when I'm not at university), there aren't that many choices of destination from there. Manchester airport is a direct, 2 and a half hour train away from Grimsby so it is the easiest to get to. Because of this, I have chosen to fly from Manchester airport a couple of times now. My first experience at Manchester airport was actually quite daunting. I was flying to Toronto for the first time, completely alone and had only been to Humberside airport previously. As I got off the train and saw the size of this airport, I was in shock and a little scared.

The first time I flew from this airport I flew with Air Transat so I had to use terminal 1. From the train, all I had to do was get in a lift and I was taken straight to the check in area. The main check in area for terminal one has 78 check in desks which was amazing. As many airlines check in using this terminal, there are many different desks to choose from but each airline has more than one. I got to the airport a bit earlier than I needed to be there but I was happy to find Air Transat already checking people in. The staff were friendly and quick and this meant I could get rid of my baggage and not have to cart a load of stuff around for ages.

Once checked in, it's time for security. Again, there were plenty of people working this area and I thought that meant I would get through it quickly. Unfortunately, going through security takes quite a while as some people need to be checked differently to others and people have things in their bags that they shouldn't. When it came to be my turn though, I went through with no problems. I only had to walk through the sensors, put my bag on the conveyor belt and I was done. I had been careful beforehand to make sure my bag was packed properly. As I was flying on my own, I didn't want anything bad to happen and for me to get even more nervous.

Past security, this airport has amazing shopping on offer. Due to only having been to Humberside airport before, where the shopping is nearly non-existent, I was impressed. Terminal 1 has about 25 shops on offer including W H Smiths, Boots, Claire's, Monsoon, a spa, JD, Timberland and much more. There is something for everyone here and every budget which was nice to see. I also liked the fact that the shopping area catered for men just as well as women and everyone could get their last minute items because of this. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink as well. There are options to grab a quick bite of fast food or have a sit down meal, grab a quick cold drink or have a nice relaxing coffee. The choice here was incredible.

Something that I did notice about Manchester airport is that there are toilets everywhere. You can never walk too far, from check in to departures, without walking past a set of toilets and I thought this was quite impressive. I hate being in somewhere so big and never being able to find a toilet when I need one so this was a good thing for me. For smokers, there is a food terrace slightly upstairs and this is also where you will find the smoking area, near The Real Food Company. I don't really agree that the smoking area is right near food, even though I smoke myself but I was still glad to see a smoking area on offer and inside.

The departure lounges are large and spacious, with lots of room for everyone. The seats were quite comfortable and a good place to sit and wait for your flight once you are done shopping. I was very close to falling asleep while I was sat waiting and I have never felt like that in an airport before.

Overall, Manchester airport is one of the best I have been to and if I was going on holiday from Grimsby, I would happily fly from here again. At the minute, East Midlands is closer for me otherwise I would always be flying from Manchester airport.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Will avoid in the future.

My thoughts on Manchester have changed little over the years. My experience this time was no different.No sign posting explaining which airlines Depart/Arrive from which terminal. I was disgusted how dirty the eating area was in terminal 2 not fit for animals to eat in. Check out the carpet in the window area of Bar MCR. The windows in this complete terminal look like they were cleaned 10 years ago or more and I have the feeling that the higher the airport taxes the ruder and ruder the security staff gets. Also when are these Serviceair ground handling agents going to realise that they are only ground handling agents and do not write the airline rules on allowable cabin baggage. We don't all fly with a certain Mr Leary's so called airline. So Buck up Manchester or loose the better side of business. P.S. I do not ever understand how you want to manage the A380 capacity this is really a joke from Emirates isn't it ??

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great and efficient airport with many airlines operating from Manchester with lots of destinations

I have used Manchester airport a bit more recently, including on my summer holiday to Corfu. It's quite a large airport with 3 terminals and I do enjoy going there. I have travelled there by train before going to Manchester Piccadilly before changing to get a train to the airport. This second leg of the journey to the airport takes around 15-20 minutes.

You can get anywhere from the train station at the airport, which is quite easy to get to and doesn't take long from where you arrive. However the airport is large and there can be quite a bit of walking to do at times! They do have facilities to help those who may struggle such as the indoor cars and lots of lifts too.

When I last went there, I somehow found it hard to find the terminal I wanted as the signs confused me. However I must have made a stupid mistake and found my way in the end. Most of the signs in the airport are quite good and you can clearly see where to go. I have been in two different terminals here, both of which have been fairly large.

Both of them have had a good range of shops and restaurants to browse. Notable ones include Starbucks Coffee, Burger King, WHSmith, Boots, Top Rack and many more including the great duty free shop. The duty free shop is great - firstly to top up on your aftershave/perfume and secondly, you can buy some great tax free goods in there. There have also been those car competitions in places where you can pay around £20 for a chance to win an amazing car.

The gates aren't too far to walk from the main terminal from what I've experienced. After a flight, you don't have to walk too far either before you reach the large baggage arrival lounges. There are several belts and the room is large and well-lit - it's quite pleasant. The baggage usually comes round fairly quickly within about 5 minutes of getting there, but I don't know if this is because the walk is slightly longer than some foreign airports where you walk down the stairs of the plane right into the baggage reclaim lounge without passport control! It may seem quick, but the service isn't disappointing anyway.

Check-in has always been perfectly fine for me and quite speedy. There seem to be a lot of check-in desks for each airline and many airlines operate from Manchester to a variety of international destinations. The airport is very modern and large and I don't mind using it at all. From what I have seen, the airport has plenty of parking in multi-story buildings and there is great access with buses, cars, by train and of course by plane! The airport terminals have a good range of restaurants and shops with toilets everywhere and the security is very good too. I remember on the news that they would be testing certain methods of security purely at Manchester for a while so they must have the very best security! However it's not too slow with many metal detectors operating at once. I'd certainly recommend using Manchester as it has always been pretty hassle-free for me, apart from a few long walks!

Thanks for reading!

:)

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Large , rabbit warren airport.

Manchester airport, we have been to Florida 4 times , the fourth time was going from Manchester. Our first impressions of Manchester was it was way t0o big, you could easily get lost , it was like a rabbit warren. We checked out luggage in and were given our boarding cards and esta forms for entry into the united staes, and got to security where you have now got to take your shoes of and but on the conveyor belt to be xrayed along we other lose articles , but obviously this is a necessity these days for national security, the security guards were very polite to us. We were not very impressed with the duty free area , we had a quick look around but did not purchase anything. We went to a cafe and had breakfast which we felt was very pricey even for airport prices , we paid nearly £50.00 for 2 adult breakfast 2 children breakfast (the children could only have 3 items which included half a piece of toast ) and 2 cups of tea, we will be taking our own food next time. The waiting area itself was very clean and we sat and watched all the planes coming and going on the runway.Obviously the airport is only a small part of the holiday so we didn't let this bother us to much, as we were only there a few hours.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Good But Not Great

Living in the Northwest of England, pretty much any time I'm going abroad on my holidays Manchester airport is where I fly from. Its only half an hour away from where I live and is the biggest airport around. So like it or not this is my local!

I have used Manchester airport several times over the years. There are three terminals at Manchester, I've been to all of them. This is a very large and busy airport and one that many people use.

One thing I have noticed about Manchester is that if often feels busy. I've been to bigger and busier airports, but they seem to have a way of spreading people out, there is often quiet places you can find. Manchester is not like that, everything is more or less open plan so there are people everywhere. It feels very crowded and hectic. I don't usually enjoy this part of my holiday.

The facilities at the airport are very good. It has everything you would expect from a large airport. There are loads of shops selling everything from alcohol to electronics, from books to sunglasses. Everything you could possibly need on your holiday. The prices of most of the items are quite expensive, ideally you are looking for some bargains at an airport but you don't really get them here.

When it comes to food and drink, the choice is pretty good. There are loads of cafes and bars and some restaurants. I have tried a few of these places over the years and while non of them have been amazing, they have all been up to a decent standard. One thing I will say is that the food and drink at the airport is very expensive. This is something I don't think is fair as many people have no choice but to eat and drink here. I have had some great breakfasts at Manchester airport, but again the price always annoys me somewhat.

The toilets are all well placed. Your always near one which is handy if you find yourself caught short just before boarding. They all seem pretty clean and tidy which is always good.

I don't think Manchester is that well laid out. Even though I've been several times I don't feel as if I know my way around. Its confusing looking for your gate sometimes and I sometimes panic that I don't know where I am. There is plenty of information about the flights which is good. Almost wherever you are in the airport you can see a screen telling you who is boarding and if there are any delays. There are even screens in the eating areas which comes in handy.

I've never had any major delays at Manchester which is a relief. But I do know other who have and they have had mixed experiences of how they are dealt with. Some say staff are very helpful and accommodating whereas others says they are a waste of time. So maybe thats just the luck of the draw.

One thing I will say is that the airport is very easy to get to. Its pretty well signposted as you come off the motorway, and all the terminals are clearly signed. The parking is OK but very expensive if you want to leave a car there for any period of time. We have had a few problems when our flights have been late and the person picking us up has to wait around.

Overall I would say Manchester is a good airport but not a great one. There are no major flaws with it, it just isn't that nice a place to be. The staff are OK but again they are not overly friendly. The facilities are good but not amazing. I would have to say its a very average kind of airport. As other airports around the world improve I think that Manchester will have to try and up its game to keep up with competition. Maybe you have been here and feel differently, but that just my personal experience of Manchester.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Good airport

We're regular flyers from Manchester Airport, using it at least once and year - maybe even more if it's the cheapest place to go from!

We find that the airport is nicely located to the south of the city, just a few minutes off the M60 motorway that circles Manchester. Coming from Sheffield we have to negotiate the Pennines and their stupidly small roads - if the government built a motorway, it'd take us about half an hour to get to the airport, however with the Snake/Woodhead Pass it takes us more like 90 minutes. Stupid government.

Anyway, the airport itself is probably the largest outside of London and provides passengers with short, medium and long haul routes. From Manchester you can fly to anywhere from Dublin to Dubai to Disney - which makes it a very popular place for Northerners who want to go further afield.

The last time we flew from there was last week (October 09) when we jetted off to Tenerife. Our plane took off from Terminal 1 which has had a massive overhaul since the last time we were there. It's gone from a run-down old terminal, to what looks very impressive and modern on the inside. The ceilings are high, the building is well-lit and seem more spacious than before - a good thing for nervous travellers as they shouldn't feel as claustrophobic as in the previous terminal.

There was a massive queue at the Thomas Cook check-in desk, but this was managed fairly well and we were checked-in within about 10 minutes. After checking-in, it was straight through to the new security check which now includes a machine that scans your boarding card (rather than handing it over to another person to check). The security checks were done quickly and everything seemed very well organised, with plenty of staff on-hand to point you in the right direction.

After security you'll find the usual array of shops and restaurants - Boots, Dixons, WH Smith, Duty Free etc. As is the trend with most airports now, you're forced to walk through the duty free shop to get to the departure gates - this can be very frustrating, especially if you're in a hurry!

As we were on an early morning flight, we were thankful to find a self-service restaurant serving breakfast - something which was sadly lacking from the last airport we flew from (Gatwick). Breakfasts were £5-£7, hardly cheap, but not overly expensive either.

Food in the other shops was also suitably expensive... Bottles of Coke were £1.60 in WH Smith, £1.05 in Boots. With a packet of Monster Munch costing 85p in WH Smiths. Luckily Boots still offer their meal deal, which isn't such a rip-off.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Fine, if a little inefficient, poorly designed and empty of shops and places to eat.

Having transited through Manchester Airport on several ocassions now, I can say that it is a definite alternative to (mostly) grotty Heathrow and Gatwick. Like most things, there are positives and negatives. A lot of airlines fly out of here to many wide ranging destinations. Air France for example connect you with CDG and a world of destinations. Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Delta, Continental and KLM do the same. If you live in the North of England, there isn't much need to go south for flying international (if you don't mind one extra flight perhaps).

As for the airport itself, the connecting walkways are bright, spacious and airy, if a little long (even with moving walkways). Terminal 2 is probably the most pleasant. There are a distinct lack of shops and places to eat before departures. If you have a long wait, it's not the most exciting place to hang around, even by airport standards.

Terminal 3 is poorly connected to the rest of the airport. It requires either a walk or a short bus ride to get to. Once inside, it's a pokey, awful little building, both before and after security.

There is one unforgiveable when it comes to Manchester Airport though. If you are connecting to a different airline, and you haven't got a detailed itinerary print out with you, it's impossible to know which terminal that airline flies out of, unless you research beforehand. Unlike every other medium-large sized airport in the world i've been in with more than one terminal, Manchester does not have any signage telling you which airlines fly out of which terminals. You literally have to drag your suitcase the massive distance to each one. It is such a simple, basic thing, and yet it's been neglected. Only at the entrance to each terminal does it tell you what airlines serve it. Almost unforgivable.

Altogether though, Manchester is fine, if a little inefficient, poorly designed and empty of shops and places to eat.

Really though, few airports in Europe are any good anyway, so if you are just spending a few hours in it, there shouldn't be any problem.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Not my favourite

I have only used Manchester airport once, last November to Abu Dabi, and found it a dis-spiriting experience. Okay, it was undergoing extensive refurbishment and the place was like a building site in parts, but there are other aspects that are quite separate from that, and it was on a cold and sad November evening. Travelling there (I usually go from birmingham) was a nightmare, with delaying problems on the train to Sheffield, and a dodgy connection to Manchester.

The airport itself looks good from the outside, and is pretty much a generic structure as in most airports share the same characteristics like your average high street, and are therefore cultural deserts. Sure, they are little more than transit points, I concede; but, Manchester has a depressing finality to it, like the terminal that lost souls arrive at before going down to Hades. This is reflected in the bar - not the best I've visited by any stretch of the imagination. it's bland, featureless, small, depressing, and totally bereft of any kind of charm.

Moving onto discuss the shops - what can one say? pretty much of a muchness, but that area is still in need of some investment to bring it up to true international standard. All I can add is that I have resolved to pay that little bit extra and fly from Birmingham International, of a much better standard, and complete with occasional battling Hells Angels for one's pre-flight entertainment. More on this place elsewhere.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great

Manchester International Airport, with airport code MAN, is located outside Manchester City Centre near the town of Wythemshawe.

Manchester Airport is owned by the Manchester Airport Group who own not only Manchester Airport but also Nottingham East Midlands, Humberside & Bournemouth Airports too.

Manchester Airport has over 200 destinations worldwide ran direct by over 100 airlines from domestic flights to London and Scotland, European flights to places like France, Spain & Greece and worldwide flights to places like Dubai and USA. Carring 22 million passengers a year using a staff amount of 19,000

The airport is very easilly accessable from all over not just Manchester but the whole region and the rest of the UK. The airport has it's own bus, coach and train stations which connect into the airport terminal building. Buses run 24 hours a day on some routes ran by Stagecoach, Arriva and First to most of Manchester and the outer areas, route 43 ran by Stagecoach runs via Wythemshawe to Manchester Picadilly City Centre 24 hours a day (excluding xmas and new year). Coaches ran by National Express connect the airport to the whole of UK with direct coaches running from the airport to Scotland, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, London, Blackpool, Wales, Liverpool and Yorkshire to name just a few. The train station has recently been refurbished and now has a third platform meaning more trains can stop there, the station is located next to the bus/coach station and has direct trains to all over the North West, Scarborough, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle & Glasgow/Edinburgh. Trains take just 12 minutes approximately to get to Manchester Picadilly station where you can connect onto trains to the whole of the UK including the West Coast Mainline where Virgin Trains run to Birmingham and London Euston, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Parking is also available with hundreds of spaces available. The Metrolink, the famous Manchester tram network is also currently expanding and is looking to add metro trains to the airport by 2014.

The airport has 3 terminals, Terminal 1/2 and 3. The terminals are linked together by the 'Skylink' a set of moving walkways. Terminals are just moments away from the Transport Interchange using the walkways and screens located nearby tell you which terminal to go to as each airline operates from one of the 3 terminals.

When you get to the terminal your greeted by your airlines sales & information desk or the desk of the handling agent and the checkin counters. Screens tell you which desk to go to for your flight. The screens are new plasma type screens and a very clear to read.

Once you checkin you follow the signs, usually by going up stairs, to get to security. Once you get there theres notices reminding you of prohibited items in your hand luggage including sharp items & liquids over 100ml per container, with bins to dispose of these if you forgot about them, theres then two lanes, one for normal security and one for Fast Track, Manchester Airport have been spending a lot of money on refurbishing the airport, one of the new additions is automatic ticket barriers at security. Originally you would show your boarding pass to a member of staff who would then tell you to proceed to go through security screening but now they have introduced automatic barriers, a bit like those at train stations, you scan the barcode on the machine and the gate opens for you to go through then you go through the normal security search where there obviously still is security staff.

The airport has a fantastic range of shops some of which are new or recently refurbished, including top names WHSmiths, Dixons (part of Currys) & Boots, and a great duty free shop which has also recently been refurbished, infact in terminal 2 you have to walk through it to get to the gates, quite a good idea in terms of making people see it and possibly stop to buy some goods. You can buy your items and collect on your return to which is good if you want to buy a lot.

The terminals have some fantastic eating places which some have also been refurbished or are new, but watch out as you know airport prices are high but stick to the high street bands like Burger King, Greggs, Costa Coffee and Starbucks but they have recently opened new restaurants including The Food Village, Giraffe & out of town favourite Frankie & Benny's. So you have a very wide choice in all 3 terminals so even the fussiest of eaters are catered for.

In the terminal building you have toilets & seating areas everywhere and screens tell you which gate your flights leaving from, the screens are also new plasma lcd style and very clear & easy to read. Huge signs will help direct you around the airport terminal and the gates are clearly sign posted.

Generally all flights leave on fingered gates, meaning you walk directly onto the plane but usually have to walk down steps to get there however there is a lift which can be used for wheelchair and pushchair passengers. Tannoy announcements are made at the boarding gate when your flights boarding by airline or handling agent personnel.

In Arrivals when your flight lands you generally walk off the aircraft straight into the terminal, from there it's usually a flat straight walk to passport control and baggage reclaim, usually along a long coridoor. When you get to the passport control checkpoint, you have two lanes, one for EU passengers and one for passengers who do not have EU passports, obviously anyone from the UK would enter through the EU passengers lane. They have barriers out to control the queues but every single time I have flown into Manchester I walked straight through very quick security both in departures and arrivals I have NEVER waited more than 3 or 4 minutes and I have travelled at busy times so very good indeed.

Once you clear passport control you go through an automated door to see TV screens to get your baggage belt then take the stairs or lift down and your in baggage reclaim from there baggage belts are well sign posted and screens on the belts re-confirm the flight that belt will have bags for and a great thing is the screen also tells you a rough time of when all the bags will of arrived so you can see exactly the most amount of time you'll have to wait for your bags.

Once you've got your bags you go through customs, theres two channels, Green for passengers with nothing to declare and Red if you have to declare items to customs. From then you go outside and into the arrivals hall where you will find a WHSmith and maybe a SPAR or Boots depending on the terminal, courtesy buses will be outside to take you to car parks & airport hotels, theres a wide range of hotels from budget to quality available on or nearby the airport including Hilton, Travelodge & Premier Inn. Sign posts are good here too they will direct you to checkin if you have another flight to catch and also the transport interchange through checkin.

The airport is huge but is very well sign posted for people who don't know there way and has some fantastic transport connections with buses, coaches, cars & trains, it has fantastic facilities and I have never had to queue for security or passport control like at other airports. The airport is clean and the refurbishment is making it fresh and new, which is due to be completed soon with new shops, new security, new screens and new restaurants.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Relatively hassle free airport

I am from Manchester original and proud of it and used to spend a lot of my child hood here plane spotting. The airport has growm massively and with that comes a price or airport sprawl. Car parking is close to the airport a five minute walk but is reasonable £45 for three days . TIP dont use the multi storey for more than a day unless you are wealthy.

Signs for the check in area in terminal one are not very good and some desks eg Lufthansa are located on the lower floor away from the main check in area. Check in is usually no problem and after a short walk you pass through security with all the usual rigmarole Still find it amazing the stuff people try to bring through despite all the warningssIniside airside you have a good range of facilities usual shops bars and duty free. Also have a number of currency exchange boths again my TIP buy your currency other than at the airport. Two week sago I got less than a pound to the euro

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

really big airport with lots to do you wont get bored whilst waiting for your flight

manchester airport is one of the biggest airports in the uk. it is located in manchester england. it has three terminals which fly to various destinations around the world and is home to many different airlines. the airport has a prayer room which is located on the walkway between terminal 1 and 3 which is handy if you have to pray at certain times of the day. it has a creche which is open during the day which is handy to keep the children occupied. it has a variety of different shops and restaurants which will keep you occupied if you have a long time to wait for a flight. manchester airport has a variety of shops which can be found on the highstreet such as whsmiths monsoon and boots. good shops but the prices are a lot higher than you would pay on a highstreet. as the airport has so many jobs their is a jobcentre located at the airport. the airport is easily accessible and has disabled access throughout. their is a bus station and a train station so it is easily accessible from many places. theres lots to do whilst you are waiting for your flight you definately wont get bored. they have airport lounges which can be pre booked and you can relax in style. there is friendly staff throughout which you can ask if you need any assisstance or support

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

dont forget to pack....

i remember the first time i went to the airport as a kid way back in the day, i thought the chandellers were so beautiful, and now although not a avid flyer i do like to travel and passionate about manchester.i did go away to spain a few months ago, and we had to take our shoes off and throw away all perfume and lighters etc. so dont buy water, perfume, or lighters etc before you get through the gateway because you will have to hand them over. one woman had to throw her fav perfume away and my sis had to throw away at least 5 yeas five lighters and make up some that had such fond memories. so pack wisley and be paitent dont take make up with you because thats got to go also, dont complain, the staff are just doing their job and isnt your saftey worth the wait.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Some might call this airport an accident waiting to happen.

Manchester airport is the premier airport of the North West and serves a large area for long range international flights. Unfortunately, taking a flight from Manchester is like stepping back in time. From the minute you step inside, you will immediately notice the poor layout and non-existant signposting. In the check in hall, there is a large array of shops and keosks which are never open, along with queueing areas without any sort of crowd managment facilities.

The shops at the airport are standard fare, typically expensive for British airports and out of date in terms of stock. The worst shop in the airport are WH Smiths - I have been in without there being a checkout line stretching the length of the shop.

As for restaurants, this is where the airport really slips up. The food courts are very expensive and (ignoring the British TV special uncovering high levels of Salmonela in the food) aren't particularly nice. There is a badly maintained Burger King outlet in the airport, which appears filthy and is manned by under trained staff, some of whom do not speak basic English, making ordering very tricky.

The security at the airport featured on a BBC "Whistleblower" special and hasn't really moved on from there. The last time I flew out of Manchester, the queue for Passport Control took nearly an hour - there was only one desk and X-Ray machine open even though it was peak hour. As a result, many passengers missed flights and were rudely told "not to make a scene" by airport staff.

I returned on a flight from the USA which was 55 minutes ahead of schedule. Expecting to arrive early, we were all very happy. That was until we landed in Manchester and were told that we would have to spend the 55 minutes sitting on the tarmac until the landing slot became available. Useless.

All in all, Manchester Airport is in DIRE need of renovation and a complete overhaul in operational practice.